In our country, the energy crisis is weighing on household wallets. This is what makes the animal shelter already under pressure fear an increase in abandonments.
In this refuge in the Charleroi region, a new mission is developing. This mission aims to provide food aid to the owners of poor domestic animals. They call for help to be able to keep their dog or cat.
“We try to help them out, we try to give the minimum so that the animal has at least to eat. In the case of cats, it can also happen that we are asked for litter. And it is true that it is more and more frequent“, notes Michele VandersmissenPresident of the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (SICKLE) from Charleroi.
For those in charge of the shelter, the concern is present in the face of the economic reality. A pet would cost on average 450 euros per year for a cat and more than 600 euros for a dog. Excluding medical expenses.
Will the owners be able to bear this reality?
“The energy crisis will have financial repercussions on households. And we inevitably fear that the animal will suffer the consequences. It is feared that there will be an increase in abandonments in the coming weeks”; challenges Frank Goffauxdirector of the royal humane society (SICKLE) from Charleroi.
Will the number of adoptions be impacted?
Currently, the shelter is full. He is compounded several hundred dogs and cats. Can the rotation be maintained? “The fear I have is that tomorrow we ait much less adoption because people say to themselves ‘On would like to have a pet us but this is not the time given all the bills we have and seen the difficult end of the month we have”. In the Walloon region, the Minister of Animal Welfare says she is aware of this reality. Additional resources might be made available.